Multipositional rotary switch



Oct. 18, 1966 M. H. DELTOER MULTIPOSITIONAL ROTARY SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Jan. 11, 1965 Oct. 18, 1966 M. H. DELTOER mumrosmom. ROTARYswITcH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1965 I11 re2775r nte/ H, De/foerKI /M 277' M. H. DELTOER.

MULTIPOSITIONAL ROTARY SWITCH Oct. 18, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan.11, 1965 dram Wm 7142 0 WW United States Patent 3,280 290MULTIPOSITIONAL ROTARY SWITCH Marcel H. Deltoer, 22 Rue Ravon,Bourg-la-Reine, France Filed Jan. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 424,595 Claimspriority, application France, Jan. 20, 1964, 960,903 14 Claims. (Cl.200153) This invention relates to switching apparatus of the type inwhich a slider contact is rotatable, usually by means of a manual knob,for selectively engaging any of a circular series of stationary contactsconnected with external circuitry to alter the circuit configurationsthereof.

In multipositional rotary switches of this type, it has been customaryto provide one or more rotors each carrying one (or more) slidercontacts thereon, and directly secured on a drive shaft rotatable bymeans of the manual knob or other actuating member. The circular seriesof stationary contacts cooperating with each rotor was carried by a diskof insulating material supported in the frame of the device coaxiallywith the rotor around said drive shaft. This widely-used arrangement,while attractively simple from a mechanical point of view, exhibits anumber of inconveniences from an electrical standpoint, especially whenit is to be used in conjunction with contemporary electric andelectronic systems involving miniature components and printed-circuittechniques.

The necessity of providing a central drive shaft extending the length ofthe switching assembly sets a limit to the reduction in radialdimensions that can be accomplished. Further, the terminal connectionswith the stationary contacts and the slider contacts have to extendradially into the generally cylindrical contour of the switch assembly,thereby rendering access difficult for soldering and other connectingand disconnecting operations. Moreover there exists a definite danger ofshortcircuiting between the stationary contacts of adjacent'seriesbecause these are spaced a short distance in the axial direction of theswitch assembly.

Objects of this invention are to provide a novel multipositional rotaryswitch assembly in which the above difliculties will be eliminated owingto a completely modified geometric layout of the components of theassembly; to provide such a switch assembly in which a central driveshaft is eliminated, and wherein the series of stationary contacts aresupported in planes that are lateral, rather than transverse, to thegeneral axis of the switch assembly, whereby to provide extremelyconvenient access to the contact terminals from the sides of theassembly; to provide the terminal connections of the switch assembly inthe form of laterally projecting pins or the like for convenient pluggedand/ or soldered connection therewith, e.g. by means of printed circuitcards replaceably insertable thereon; and wherein respective series ofstationary contacts of the assembly are axially spaced a substantialdistance to eliminate the danger of shorting flashover therebetween.

Other objects are to provide a multipositional rotary switchconstruction having the above-enumerated advantageous features, andwhich will be relatively simple and inexpensive to produce and assemblyin large numbers, and will be extensible, if desired, in that additionalsets of stationary contacts and sliding contacts may be added thereto incase of requirement.

In an important aspect of the invention there is provided amultipositional rotary switch assembly comprising a frame, a drive shaftjournalled in the frame, and a pair of rotors journalled in the framefor separate rotation about a common axis transverse to the drive shaft.Bevel gearing is provided for driving the two rotors in reversedirections about their common axis on rotation of the drive shaft, aswith a knob. The rotors carry slider con- 3,280,290 Patented Oct. 18,1966 tacts on their outer sides, and these slider contacts cooperatewith two circular series of fixed contacts supported in the framecoaxially with said transverse axis and in axially spaced relationoutwardly of the rotors. Terminal pins connected with said contactsproject outwardly in opposite lateral directions for ready connectionwith external circuitry.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described for purposes ofillustration but not of limitation with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a general view in side elevation illustrating an improvedmultipositional rotary switch assembly in accordance with the exemplaryembodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view in sectional elevation of the assembly on a plane atright angles to that of FIGURE 1 as indicated by the line IIII in FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view illustrating the main components of theassembly.

FIGURE 4 is a large-scale view in perspective illustrating one of thetwo transfer pinions used, and including unitarily connected spur andbevel pinions FIGURE 5 is a large-scale view in perspective illustratingthe pair of complementary recessed frame plates serving to house andjournal the said transfer pinions.

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view of the assembly on line VI-VI ofFIGURE 1, on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view of the assembly on line VII-VII ofFIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a front view of a slider-carrier hub forming part of eitherrotor of the switch assembly.

FIGURE 9 is a front view of a stationary contact-carrier disk used in amodified form of the invention; and

FIGURE 10 shows a contact plate two of which are used in themodification of FIGURE 9.

As best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the improved switch assembly can beseen to comprise three main sections: a drive section A, amotion-transfer section B and a switching section C. As will be laterunderstood, there may be provided more than one group each consistingof'a motion-transfersection B and a switching section C, associated witha common drive section A.

The drive' section A comprises a box-shaped casing 1 formed with acylindrical recess in it, having a gear annulus 6 rotatable therein.Annulus 6is secured on a spindle 4 which has an actuating knob 5 securedto its outer end, and said shaft or spindle 4 is rotatable in anexternally threaded sleeve 31: projecting from a plate 3 secured to theupper surface of casing 1 through means not shown.

The motion-transfer section B comprises a pair of re cessed squareplates 7a and 7b in face-to-face relation,

with plate 7a being supported against the open lower end formed in plate3 extend through holes formed in casing 1 and aligned holes in plates7a, 7b, the latter being threaded, thereby to maintain the sections Aand B in assembly as shown. Further, the upper plate 7a is formed withopposite holes in which are seated the heads 11a of bolts 11 the shanksof which project downwardly through holes in the lower plate 7b forassembling the switching section as presently described.

The switching section C comprises a frame composed of a pair of recessedsquare sideplates 12 having their upper sides or edges supported againstthe under face of plate 7b along opposite sides of said plate. Thesideplates 12 are interconnected by four spacer members 15 each havingits opposite ends engaging the inner faces of the respective side-plates12 at corresponding corners of said plates, and being assembled theretoby means of screws 13 extending through aligned holes in the sideplatesand spacers. The spacers 14 are further formed with vertical holesthrough which the shanks of the aforesaid bolts 11 extend. Nuts threadedon the lower ends of the bolts 111 and engaging the under sides ofspacers 14 serve to retain the section C in assembly with section B andtherethrough with section A.

It may here be mentioned that in case more than one B- and C-sectionsare associated with the A-section, then the bolts 11 may be provided ofincreased length so as to project downward beyond the lower spacers 14,and to receive an additional transfer section (B) followed by anadditional switching section (C) thereon, this alternate arrangement ofB- and C-sections being, if desired, repeated more than once along thelengths of the bolts 11.

Each of the pinions 10, as best seen from FIGURE 4,

is formed in this example as a unitary integral group of two pinions,including a bevel pinion section 1011 and a spur pinion section b, therespective teeth of the two pinion sections of each pinion '10 beingintegrally formed, as shown. The bevel pinion sections 1011 which areoutermost on spindle 9 are in mesh with the upper bevel gear annulus 6as mentioned above.

The internal construction of the switching section C will now bedescribed.

Housed in the space defined between the side-plates 12 are two rotorstructures which are supported, through means presently described, forseparate rotation about a common geometric axis which is transverse tothe axis of driver shaft 4. Each rotor structure comprises three coaxialsections: a spur gear section 15 having gear teeth adapted to mesh withthe inner, spur gear sections 10b of the respective pinions 10; a switchhub section 16 disposed outwardly of the gear section; and a detent disksection 24 inwardly of the gear section 15, and having undulating detentprojections 26 around its periphery. It will be understood that in eachrotor unit, the hub 16,

gear 15 and detent disk 24 are rigidly interconnected and may constitutean integral moulding.

The hub section 16 of each rotor unit has a central opening into whichprojects the cylindrical inner portion of a pin 21 made of conductivematerial. 1 The outer end of the cylindrical portion of pin 21 issecured in a central aperture formed in a related one of two switchcarrier disks 19, made of insulating material. The disks 19 are securelyinserted in generally circular apertures formed in the respective squareside plates 12. It will be noted that each disk 19 has castellations 22formed contact pins 20' made of conductive material. Each.con-

tact pin20 is provided with a contact head 20a which seats on the innerside surface of the disk 19, and a terminal shank 20b projectingoutwardly beyond the outer side of the disk for connection to anelectric circuit. It will also be observed that the central pin 21 hasan outwardly projecting terminal stem portion 21a adapted for connectionwith the circuit.

The hub 16 of each rotor unit has a diametric groove 17 formed in itsoutwardly facing surface. In this groove is seated a slider contactmember 18, which as shown is formed from a strip of resilient conductivemetal bent double so as to have two spaced, generally parallel legs.These legs are formed with aligned holes through which the related pin21 extends. The axially inner leg of the slider 18 has a radiallyextended portion 18a which is bent outward and into the plane of theouter, shorter leg, as best seen in FIGURE 7. The arrangement is suchthat the slider 18 is firmly set in the diametric groove 17 of therelated rotor hub 16, so as to be rotatable with the rotor unit, andthat the extended leg 18a of the slider resiliently engages the heads20a of the array of contacts 20 in the related disk 19 and sweeps pastthe array when the rotor unit is rotated. A perforate flange or washer21c of conductive material, secured around the periphery of centre pin21 and seated against the inner side of disk 19, engages the outer,shorter, leg of slider 18 (see FIGURE 7) so as to ensure permanentelectric contact between the pin 21 and slider 18.

A cylindrical pin 25 has its respective halves inserted in alignedcentral recesses formed in the adjacently-dis posed detent disks 24 ofthe respective rotor units to keep both rotor units in coaxialalignment. It will thus be understood that the two rotor units aresupported on the three coaxially aligned elements 21 and 25 for coaxial,but independent, rotation about a common geometric axis.

The rounded detent teeth 26 at the peripheries of the two disks 24resiliently cooperate with the central portions of leaf springs 27(shown as being unitarily interconnected), the side legs 27a of whichare inserted in slots 28 formed near the ends of the upper and lowervspacer members 14.

In operation, rotation of the knob 5 rotates shaft 4 and bevel annulus6, so that the two pinions 10 are rotated in reverse directions on theircommon axle 9. The two gears 15, and therewith the entire two rotorunits, are thus rotated in reverse directions about their commongeometric axis defined by the aligned pins 21 and 25. Preferably, ashere shown, the drive gear annulus 6 and each of the rotor gears 15 havethe same number of teeth. Since further each bevel pinion 10a has thesame number of teeth as each spur pinion 10b, the sliders 18 are rotated(in opposite directions) by angles that are equal to the angle driveshaft 4 is rotated by means of knob 5. Thus rotation of knob 5 can bringthe sliders 18 into contact with a selected pair of contacts 20a of therespective disks 19.

It will be noted from FIGURE 7 that the projections 23 formed in theapertures in side-plates 12, have their axially-inwardly directed endsextending a substantial amount axially beyond the inner faces of saidsideplates and beyond the heads 20a of the contact pins 20 inserted indisks 19. Thus, during rotation of the slider 18, the active end 18a ofthe slider is cammed axially inwards by the projections 23 betweenadjacent contacts 20a, thereby positively preventing the occurrence of ashortcircuit 'between the contacts.

The rounded detent teeth 26 provided on the periphery of detent disks 24are equal in number to that of the contacts 20, and the valleys betweensaid teeth are arranged to engage the detent springs 27 in synchronismwith the engagement of the contacts 20 with the slider 18.

Thus every time the sliders 18 are engaging contacts 20a, rotation ofthe rotors is momentarily opposed in a resilient manner due toengagement of the central portions of the springs 27 with the valleysbetween the detent teeth. In the detent action thus obtained, it will benoted that since each detent disk 24 is integrally rotatable with therelated contact slider 18, the desired synchronism between thespring-detent action and the engagement of the switch contacts is at alltimes retained through the lifetime of the assembly regardless of playand blacklash that'may develop in the gearing transmission.

If desired, each rotor hub 16 may carrytwo diametrically opposed slidersin its groove 17 rather than the single slider 18 so far described, forsimultaneous cooperation with two diametrically opposed contacts 20 ofthe related switch contact disk 19. In that case the two oppositesliders 37, shown in chain outline in FIGURE 9, are of course insulatedfrom each other, being mounted in spaced relation in the groove 17 andseparately retained therein by the lugs 30. The single central contactpin 21 and conductive washer 210 are omitted, and there are insteadprovided a pair of separate contact plates 31. Each contact plate 31 isdesirably formed from a blank 32 (FIG- URE cut out of a strip ofconducting metal, and having the general shape shown. The blank 32includes a semi-circular part 31 from which extends a central lug 34 ofrelatively large length and width and a pair of smaller side lugs 33.The blank is bent on the line AB so that the contact part 31 lies atright angles to the common plane of the lugs 33 and 34. The central lug34 is inserted through a related one of two parallel spaced slots 34formed in the contact disk 19 so as to project outwardly and provide anexternal terminal connector, while the semi-circular contact portions 31are positioned in contact with the inner surface of disk 19 with theirarcuate sides directed away from each other. The small attachment lugs33 are inserted through holes 36 formed therefor in disk 19 and are bentback to retain the contact plates 32 in assembly. Thus, during rotationof the rotor, the sliders 37 remain in electrical contact withrespective contact portions 31 and provide conductive paths therefrom tothe switch contacts 20.

If desired, suitable means may be provided for limiting the rotation ofthe rotor units to one, or less than one, full revolution. For example,a stop lug, not shown, may be provided projecting from drive shaft 4 andcooperating with one or more stops projecting from the frame.

It will be apparent from the disclosure that in the improvedmultipositional switch device, the provision of the gearing includingannulus 6 and the bevel pinions 10 and rotor gears 15, eliminates theneed for a continuous central shaft extending through the switchassembly, and thereby makes it possible to reduce the radial dimensionsof the assembly, while conveniently arranging the external connectionsof the device in lateral relation on the opposite sides of the assembly.

In order to increase the number of switch contacts provided whileholding the radial dimensions of the contact disks and rotors to aminimum, said disks and the rotor hubs are preferably made from ahigh-dielectric material such as steatite. The rotor gears and detentdisks 24 may be premolded from suitable synthetic resin and the steatitehubs 16 may be molded over said disks as cores.

The switch assembly of the invention is especially well-suited toprinted-circuit techniques, since fiat printed circuit cards can veryconveniently be plugged over the! laterally projecting terminals such asb, 21b on the opposite sides of the assembly. Access for plugging and/orsoldering the connections as well as replacing the cards is greatlyfacilitated.

It will be evident that a great variety of modifications may beintroduced without exceeding the scope of the invention as claimedhereinafter.

What I claim is:

1. A multipositional rotary switch assembly comprising:

a frame;

a drive shaft journalled in the frame for rotation about a first axis;

a pair of rotors journalled in the frame for separate rotation about asecond axis transverse to the first axis;

bevel gearing including a drive gear on the shaft and driven gears onthe rotors drivingly connected with opposite sides of said drive gearfor rotating the rotors in reverse directions about their common sec ondaxis;

slider contacts supported on outer sides of said rotors;

insulating contact-supporting memberssupported from the frame inparallel spaced relation outward of said rotors and each having. acircular series of contacts coaxial with said second axis, said contactsbeing positioned on the inwardly directed sides ofsaid members forengagement by the sliders of the respective rotors; and

contact terminals connected to said contacts and extending outward fromsaid members for connection to external circuitry.

2. A multipositional rotary switch assembly comprismg:

a frame;

a drive shaft journalled in the frame for rotation about a first axis;

a pair of rotors journalled in the frame for separate rotation about acommon second axis transverse to the first axis;

a bevel gear annulus carried by the shaft;

a pair of pinion means journalled in the frame for separate rotationabout a common axis parallel to said second axis and engaging oppositesides of said annulus for reverse rotation of the pinion means;

driven gears secured to the respective rotors and en gaging saidrespective pinion means for reverse rotation of said rotors from saidshaft;

slider contacts supported on outer sides of the rotors;

and

insulating contact-supporting members supported in the frame in parallelspaced relation outward of said rotors and each having a circular seriesof contacts coaxial with said second axis, said contacts positioned onthe inner sides of said members for engagement by the sliders of therespective rotors.

3. The assembly defined in claim 2, wherein each of said pinion meanscomprises a bevel pinion section meshing with said annulus and a spurpinion section meshing with said driven gear.

4. The assembly defined in claim 1, wherein each rotor has acircumferential series of detent projections on the periphery thereofcorresponding in number to that of said contacts, and resilient meanscarried by the frame and engageable with said projections on rotation ofthe rotors for resiliently restraining the rotation thereof onengagement of a slider with a contact.

5. A multipositional rotary switch assembly comprising:

frame plate;

a drive shaft journalled in the frame plate;

a pair of generally square side frame plates secured to opposite sidesof said first frame plate in parallel spaced planes normal to the planeof the first frame plate to partly define a box-shaped housing;

a pair of rotors supported in said housing for separate rotation about acommon axis transverse to said drive shaft;

bevel gearing including a drive gear on the shaft and driven gears onthe rotors for rotating the rotors from the shaft;

slider contacts supported on outer sides of the rotors;

circular apertures formed in said side plates coaxially with saidtransverse axis;

insulating contact-supporting disks securely fitted in said apertureseach having a circular series of contacts coaxial with said transverseaxis said contacts being positioned on the inwardly directed sides ofsaid disks for engagement by the sliders of the respective rotors; and

contact terminals connected to said contacts and extending outward fromsaid disks for connection with external circuitry.

6. The assembly defined in claim 5, wherein said disks and the wallsurfaces of said apertures have interfitting projections for securingthe disks in determinable settings in said apertures, said projectionsincluding portions pro- 7 jectin-g axially inwards for camming thesliders in an inward direction away from the plane of said contact whenthe slider is angularly positioned intermediate adjacent contacts;

7. The assembly defined in claim 5, wherein each rotor comprises anintegral unit including three coaxial sections, an outer hub sectionhaving means for securing a slider to its outer side, an intermediatesection comprising said driven gear, and an inner section comprising adetent disk having peripheral detent projections thereon correspondingin number to that of said contacts, and the assembly further includingleaf spring means carried by said housing means and engageable with saiddetent projections for resiliently restraining the rotation of the rotoron engagement of a slider with a contact.

8. The assembly defined in claim 7, wherein said detent projectionscomprise rounded undulations on the periphery of said detent disk andsaid leaf spring means comprise a spring plate having opposite endsattached to said housing means and a rounded central part resilientlyengageable with said rounded undulations.

9. The assembly defined in claim 7, wherein each rotor unit comprises asteatite hub section and a synthetic-resin gear section cast thereover.

10. The assembly defined in claim 5, wherein each contact-supportingdisk comprises a central contact element engageable by said sliderthroughout rotation of the rotor, and a central terminal connected tosaid central contact element and extending outward from said disk forconnection with said external circuitry.

11. The assembly defined in claim 5, wherein each rotor has two slidercontacts supported from the outer side thereof in insulated spacedrelation for engagement with opposite contacts of said series, and eachcontact-supporting disk has two separate contact elements engageable bysaid respective slider contacts and two central terminals connected tosaid central contact elements and extending outward from said disk forseparate connection with said external circuitry.

12. The assembly defined in claim 5, wherein said bevel gearing includesa pair of pinion means separately rotatable about a common transverseaxis parallel to said transverse axis, each of said pinion meansincluding a first pinion section meshing with said drive gear and asecond pinion section integral with said first pinion section andmeshing with a related one of the driven gears.

13. The assembly defined in claim 12, including a pair of recessed frameplates secured in flat engagement with said first frame plate between itand said side plates, said recessed plates cooperating to define meansfor journalling said pinion means.

14. The assembly defined in claim 1, including an additional pair ofrotors similar to said first rotors, means supporting said additionalrotors for rotation in the frame about an axis parallel to said secondaxis with gears on said second rotors drivingly engaging said gears onrespective ones of said first rotors, and an additional pair ofcontact-supporting members supported from the frame for cooperation withsaid additional rotors respectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,782,902 2/1957Sloane 200l53 X 2,823,277 2/ 1958 Niedzielski 200153 X 3,227,824 l/1966Saldivar 200153 X ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

1. A MULTIPOSITIONAL ROTARY SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A FRAME; A DRIVESHAFT JOURNALLED IN THE FRAME FOR ROTATION ABOUT A FIRST AXIS; A PAIR OFROTORS JOURNALLED IN THE FRAME FOR SEPARATE ROTATION ABOUT A SECOND AXISTRANSVERSE TO THE FIRST AXIS; BEVEL GEARING INCLUDING A DRIVE GEAR ONTHE SHAFT AND DRIVEN GEARS ON THE ROTORS DRIVINGLY CONNECTED WITHOPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID DRIVE GEAR FOR ROTATING THE ROTORS IN REVERSEDIRECTIONS ABOUT THEIR COMMON SECOND AXIS; SLIDER CONTACTS SUPPORTED ONOUTER SIDES OF SAID ROTORS; INSULATING CONTACT-SUPPORTING MEMBERSSUPPORTED FROM THE FRAME IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION OUTWARD OF SAIDROTORS AND EACH HAVING A CIRCULAR SERIES OF CONTACTS COAXIAL WITH SAIDSECOND AXIS, SAID CONTACTS BEING POSITIONED ON THE INWARDLY DIRECTEDSIDES OF SAID MEMBERS FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE SLIDERS OF THE RESPECTIVEROTORS; AND CONTACT TERMINALS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTACTS AND EXTENDINGOUTWARD FROM SAID MEMBERS FOR CONNECTED TO EXTERNAL CIRCUITRY.